The Garden of Eden.

Introduction of Adam and Eve

I believe all of us at one point in time have asked the question, why am I here? Why was I created? What purpose do I serve here? What is the meaning of my life?  Many of these questions often prevail in our minds at one point in time or another. The UNIVERSAL answer to this is simple, yet not. Our purpose made by GOD is to 1. Have an intimate, personal and full relationship with him. 2. To give him praise, honor him, and glorify him with our lives. THAT’S A BIG PURPOSE! and can be hard to fulfill in a broken and fallen world. You might ask what he means by this.  

 

 

      The Garden

If we look in GENESIS (the first book in the bible) we will find that GOD created everything, earth, moon, light, darkness etc.  Take a moment to think about what it would mean and what it would take to create EVERYTHING. Let your mind imagine making oceans, mountains trees, volcano’s anything that has substance in it. THAT’S A HUGE ORDER TO FILL. Yet GOD did it in six days. On the seventh day he rested, blessing the seventh sanctifying it. So, in the beginning the stage is set with everything created in perfection as to GOD’s will. After creation was made, GOD being the author of creation created man in his own image. (First man who was named Adam. Adam can also mean earth). To me this is an honor beyond all honors. To be created in the image of the maker of the Heaven’s and the earth, to be imaged after one who has all power, is all knowing, is above all kings is a privilege only mankind has. We were formed of dust from the ground, and GOD breathed his breathe of life into man.  Now many different interpretations can be used to describe breathe. But my mind is set on breath meaning spirit, since GOD himself is spirit. So, hence GOD breathed, poured, imbued his spirit into man, as man became a living being. This makes sense, GOD is spirit, life comes from GOD and is life himself. Now moving forward a little, we find that after GOD created the Heavens and the earth and man, he also created a garden in which he placed man. In Genesis we can find the garden’s name is Eden. The garden GOD created was for lack of a better word, perfect. GOD saw all that he had made, and it was good. PERFECT.  The man being made first in creation, was placed in Eden to keep it. We can see that even before the fall that GOD had made man to work, though a different kind of work. Which makes, sense since GOD himself is a worker so should to his creations be. Though we can only speculate as to how work would be different, I can only see that the work not be burdensome and unpleasant but probably more on the opposite side.  It would have been rewarding, being pleasant, and fulfilling. Tilling the ground, (for example) without weed’s thorns, or other plant life that would coke up the garden. Our work would be rich satisfying never being dull our routine. The dread of rising every morning for a day of toil, pressure and stress would have never existed. Imagine working in the presence of GOD, in a flawless environment, in a garden of pure joy and peace with the creator at your side. I do not think that our finite minds can completely grasp the majesty of it. Though if we were in perfect harmony with GOD and in his glory, I can only imagine that we ourselves would have been complete and whole on a continuing basis of perfection on every level, physical, spiritual, emotional, etc. Man, at this point was totally innocent knowing no evil, he had no understanding of FULL KNOWLEGDE (KNOWLEGDE OF BOTH GOOD AND EVIL).  It is apparent in scripture that animals were present as well in the garden and their keeping would fall again to man. Yet animals would have had no innate fear of man that they have now. Think of being around animals without fear, being able to approach and interact with them in harmony and peace. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my. There was no fear before the fall, again everything was PERFECT and GOOD on every level. Life was apparently to be simple, joyful, purposeful, clear.  Now, in his wisdom GOD said that it was not good for man to be alone. (Genesis 2:18) Part of our creation and in glorifying GOD is to interact, connection with people, develop relationships with others. This is apparent by GOD’s command of be fruitful and multiply. (Genesis 1:28). GOD instilled a deep sleep to fall on Adam. While asleep GOD plunked a rib from him and formed a helper. Some speculate that by GOD taking a rib from Adam was to represent a mutual respect between man and his helper. If we follow this line of thinking it has an element of sense to it. If GOD had wanted man’s helper to rule over him then would he have not taken a bone from man’s head? Or if man was to rule over his helper, then would not GOD have taken a bone from man’s toe? By taking a bone from his rib, which is the midsection of the body, can be presumed GOD’s intention of equality of man and his helper. Like the animals Adam named his helper. He called her Eve (Eve can mean to live or to breathe.). By naming Eve, we can see that this is symbolic of Adam taking an authority position (one of leadership) by naming his helper and placing him at the head of the relationship.  This is another example by GOD, that we were created for relationships with others.

 

By man and woman being made in GOD’s creation we can see that it is to be a relationship role of Equality. What is meant by this, is that while both are equal in the eye’s of GOD the father, their roles are not. Both however are created in the image of GOD. In scripture we see the term helper and companion being applied to woman. While man who was given charge of naming the animals and in fact gave name to his helper, thus signifying an authoritative role over the garden, animals and woman.  Now, we have Adam and Eve both in the garden of Eden, and in perfect fellowship with GOD the father, living in innocence, beauty and perfection.

 

OVERVIEW.

1.       GOD, who is spirit created everything, on a universal level putting everything into existence.

2.       GOD created man and woman in his image, (woman from the rib of man) equality. Though their roles in the garden were different. Eve was to be a helper/companion of Adam, following his lead in the garden. Adam being made first, was to be the head of the relationship with Eve. Both were under the supreme authority of GOD.

3.       GOD created a garden of perfection named Eden. It was man/woman’s assignment to work and keep the garden/ while having an active personal relationship with GOD the father.

4.       Both were innocent in the eye’s of GOD knowing or doing no evil. They lived in perfection with GOD. Neither understood Full Knowledge.  (Full Knowledge having a understanding of what is good and evil.)